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Thursday, January 20, 2011

IKEA Coffee Table Makeover

I love making over an old piece. It gives it new life, new potential and in doing so, can totally change the look of a space. Take for example this old pine IKEA coffee table. When we first bought it, we used it as a coffee table. Really. It held decorating magazines, displayed a nice vignette or two and was a safe place to put your coffee down.

Then kids happened and the coffee table suddenly took on a new, more dented identity. Put in the playroom, it started sporting some impressive battle scars … none the least of which were the monster truck demolitions that would take place on it – the small HotWheels cars being pummeled with the massive metal Tonka dump truck, you know the one…

The picture below does not do justice to the depth and breadth of the scratches, dents and punishment this IKEA coffee table suffered at the hands of those two little fellas :o)

Oh my.

Since moving into a “new” home, our old furniture is in the process of finding their way back into their rightful places. Since I knew that this old IKEA coffee table was headed back upstairs to our sunroom, I knew that I needed to give it a fresh start; and what better way that with a coat of fresh white paint.

First I sanded it down, then sprayed on a quick coat of Rust-oleum’s Espresso on all the edges and ledge trim.

After it dried I applied one coat of primer. This is sometimes where I wonder if I am doing the right thing because it looks so awful!

After two coats of Benjamin Moore’s Oxford White in eggshell, I distressed it with a heavy grit sanding block and this is what I ended up with:

Agh, you caught me! .... dare I say I snuck down to the basement one evening ... nobody played down there for a couple of days until I was sure that the smell had evaporated :o) Totally envious of those out there who can spray paint at will all year round with no lasting effects!

I have this very same coffee table and have been thinking of doing this very same technique. Did the primer take nicely (especially over top of the rustoleum spray paint)?It looks awesome and I can't wait to get started on mine!Thank you once again for your inspiration!

We have this coffee table. Our children have also made many, many dents in it. It's the favourite playing place, despite our attempts to reclaim it as adult space.

My in-laws are returning to Canada after living in England for a few years and when they asked if we wanted the coffee table I said "Just the top". Hot Wheels and Thomas trains have not been kind to ours.

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